Cornish Marathon 2026

The Cornish Marathon is Cornwall's only all-road marathon, a November race based at Millennium House in Pensilva and run entirely on tarmac. It began in 1984 as a wager between organizers John Foster and Stephen Henderson over who could run faster, with the first field having only 27 runners. The race now closes the Cornish Grand Prix Series and typically draws a mixed local field, unlike a flat, big-city marathon. The course starts with two laps around Pensilva, then proceeds through Draynes Valley and onto Bodmin Moor, passing Dozmary Pool and Jamaica Inn at Bolventor before returning along the Fowey Valley. The road offers little respite: the total climb is approximately 600 metres, with about a quarter of that occurring in the final five miles. The late climb to Foredown, between miles 24 and 25, is the section runners recall after finishing.